The Blessed and the Cursed
by Regina M
Summary: Emma and Regina are expecting a child, but what will happen when Emma discovers that Regina has been keeping secrets from her? Will the "Evil" Queen's past catch up to her, or will our heroines live happily ever after? (Humor, drama, angst, hurt/comfort, family).
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's note: So, here's the deal. I kind of suck at writing comedy, and my goal in writing Swan/Queen fic was to work on that. My strength is actually angst/dark fiction, but I firmly believe there needs to be balance in every story, so I'm hoping this will be the _least_ bit funny, while also seeming _semi_-realistic...

This story will {obviously} follow a different timeline than the show.

Let me know if you hate it.

* * *

"It's going to be a girl," Regina insists, placing her hand over Emma's flat stomach.

"How do you know?" Emma asks, narrowing an eye at Regina. "It's still too early to tell."

They are standing in the restroom at the diner, where Emma has just thrown up her breakfast. She missed the toilet by mere seconds, and now Regina's new shoes are covered in colorful fruit loops and French fries.

Regina warned Emma about the dangers of mixing sugar with grease, but in the end Emma won the argument because of five simple words: "I am carrying your baby."

Whenever Emma reminds her of this, Regina softens and agrees to anything.

Emma wants to eat ice cream in bed? No problem. She is carrying Regina's baby, after all – and if the kid takes after Regina, she's unlikely to ever get her way again. She might as well take advantage of her current circumstances.

While Emma rinses her mouth, Regina wipes the rainbow of vomit from her shoes.

"I used magic to find out the gender," Regina quietly admits.

Emma gawks at Regina's reflection in the bathroom mirror. "Oh my god. Why would you do that?" she demands. "What if this causes some weird birth defect? Our kid could come out looking like the girl from Harry Potter who brewed the wrong polyjuice potion and turned into a cat!"

"You need to stop using Harry Potter as your one-stop reference guide for magic," Regina snaps, defending her actions. "It doesn't work that way, and if our child ends up having whiskers, I'd place the blame on _your _side of the family. Snow's great aunt had a full beard by the time she was forty. It's something you might want to keep in mind as you start getting older."

"Regina," Emma sighs. "Are you worried about the pregnancy? Is that why you used magic?"

Regina guardedly lowers her eyes, but Emma tips up her chin and smiles softly.

"It's the first trimester," Emma consoles her. "I was sick all of the time with Henry. There's nothing to worry about – "

Emma runs her fingers through Regina's short hair. Regina discreetly swipes at a teardrop that is threatening to fall down her cheek.

"We can discuss this later," Regina mutters. "Everyone is waiting for us, and I don't need to remind you how my mother behaves in the company of your parents—"

"We've only been gone for ten minutes," Emma counters. "What can happen in ten minutes?"

When they leave the restroom, the first thing Emma notices is the absence of noise. The place has been cleared out, but Cora is sitting in their booth with her hands folded prettily in her lap.

Cora offers Regina an adoring smile, and greets Emma with a little wave of her hand. "Hi girls."

"Mother," Regina fumes. "What did you do?"

"Oh," Cora laughs to herself. "I was just trying to toast my bagel!" She motions to the burnt breakfast food and then reaches for her napkin. "Snow and Charming just _love_ to overreact. The smoke alarm didn't even go off this time!"

Emma raises an eyebrow as she glances around at the other empty booths. "What happened to everyone else?" she asks.

"How should I know?" Cora blinks three times in rapid succession. "Perhaps they all finished eating their breakfast, and headed off to work."

Regina gives her mother a look of warning. "What happened to Ruby?" she demands.

Cora leans in conspiratorially, but then answers the question without lowering her voice. "Probably in the back, necking with that young librarian! Have you seen the way she talks to her?"

Regina puts a hand on her hip and presses her lips into a testy frown. "Mother," she grumbles.

"Oh, all right," Cora sulks. "I might have scared everyone off. They spook so easily!"

Emma tries to keep a straight face. "I think they're frightened because you turned Dr. Hopper back into a bug during your most recent therapy session," she explains.

Cora huffs loudly and tosses her napkin onto her plate. "I hate it when anyone suggests that I've been a bad influence on Regina. I admit that I meddled in her life, but look at that face. It's pure perfection! Clearly I did _one_ thing right."

"Mother," Regina sighs, growing weary of the conversation. "We asked you to breakfast because we have some important news to share with you—"

"You've finally decided to get married?" Cora claps her hands together, and begins to sound far too excited. "Oh, Regina, this is why I spent those long hours grooming you! I always knew you were meant to marry royalty! I'm so glad my efforts weren't in vain. You'll be the queen again, my sweet girl!"

Emma thinks that Cora must have eaten a lot of shrooms while she was living in Wonderland.

Storybrooke is not the enchanted forest, and no matter how many times Emma has tried to explain the concept of 'democracy,' there's no getting through to Cora.

As far as Cora's concerned, Obama is some kind of wizard-monarch with untold powers. She loves listening to him on the television, even though she doesn't quite understand his lingo; she believes the "fiscal cliff" is some type of plot to extend his influence, and that it involves an _actual_ cliff.

Cora strokes Regina's cheek with the back of her hand, and glows with pride. "I never thought anyone would love you again!" she remarks.

Regina goes stiff and hastily withdraws from her mother. She storms out the door without stopping to put on her coat.

Emma hurries to catch up with her, and slides into the passenger seat of the Mercedes just as Regina turns the key in the ignition.

Regina grips the steering wheel and stares out at the rain washed road. "Maybe we shouldn't tell my mother about the baby," she whispers.

"Maybe," Emma hesitantly agrees. She peers over at Regina, and then scoots across the seat.

Regina leans into Emma and buries her wet nose in the blonde woman's neck.

"She apologizes all of the time," Regina gurgles angrily. "She tells me that she regrets - forcing - me to marry the King. But then she talks about my upbringing, and I _know_ that her apologies are insincere. She would do it all again."

Emma kisses Regina's forehead and watches the wind shield wipers sway back and forth.

"I've tried to cut her out of my life so many times," Regina hiccups. "But I _can't _- "

Regina pulls away from Emma and rubs the smeared makeup from her face.

"I don't know everything about your childhood," Emma whispers. "But it seems like she did a lot of unforgivable things back then. She's always pursuing her own agenda. And there's also the fact that she's tried to kill us _all_ on several occasions - "

Regina checks her appearance in the overhead mirror. Her eyes are black, and a deep furrow cuts along her brow. She digs around in her purse until she finds her lipstick, and then applies the maroon shade to her lips.

"We're going to be late for our appointment," Regina breathes.

Emma frowns at Regina's evasion, and reluctantly moves back into her seat.

The hospital is crowded when they arrive. While Emma fills out paperwork about her medical history, Regina stands at the back of the waiting room and flips through a magazine.

A small boy with a freckled nose runs up to Regina. He stares at her for a long time before kicking her in the shin.

Regina locks her teeth in two straight lines, and gives the child a dirty look. "Excuse me," she hisses. "Why did you just kick me?"

The boy points at the television in the children's waiting corner. On screen, a cartoonish Evil Queen is scheming against Snow White.

Regina crosses the room in a few long strides and rips the television cord out of the wall. "Whose idea was it to show them this Disney propaganda?" she spits.

Two children scurry out of her way, but she spins around on the group, and scares them off with an emphasized, "_Boo!_"

"Regina!" Emma frowns, exhaling loudly. She takes Regina by the elbow and leads her in the direction of an exam room. "I thought we talked about this kind of behavior."

"_You_ talked," Regina reminds her. "I listened patiently and decided that your logic was flawed."

Doc leaves Emma with a paper dressing gown. Regina helps her tie the strings on the gown, and then sits in a chair next to the ultrasound table.

Emma hops onto the table and swings her feet until the nurses show up. Neither woman wears a nametag, but Regina recognizes them as maids that served King Leopold. Their names used to be Margie and Verna.

Margie dumps cold jelly on Emma's stomach while Verna goes to the corner and sets up the sonogram machine.

Regina senses that the nurses are uncomfortable around her. Margie pointedly ignores her presence, but Verna steals frequent glances at her and Emma.

Doc strolls into the room and picks up the sonogram wand. "Hello again," he squeaks. "Are we ready to have a look?"

The dwarf skips around the table and rolls the wand over Emma's belly.

Regina holds Emma's hand and gazes up at the screen where a pea-sized dot pulsates and quivers.

"Everything seems normal," Doc announces, although his tone suggests that he expected to find something out of place, and is quite disappointed that he made no such discovery. He pushes his glasses further up on his face and squints at the image of the baby, just to be sure –

"Yep. There's the heartbeat. I'm sure you're most interested in that. Strong and healthy."

"I'm surprised it isn't growing horns and fangs!" Margie whispers to Verna. "I hope we're around to see the birth. I bet that thing will claw its way out!"

"What did you just say?" Regina shoots a murderous glare at both of the nurses.

"N-nothing, Your Majesty," Verna stutters. "Congratulations to you both."

Regina scowls at the obnoxious women and then focuses her attention on Emma.

"Have you told Snow?" Doc asks, while he polishes his bifocals on his tweed coat.

"Not yet," Emma admits, biting down on her bottom lip. "We're planning to tell her today."

"Oh," Doc shivers. "I'm sure she'll be delighted." His voice is warbling, and communicates another message entirely: _I'm sure Snow White will be thrilled that you impregnated her daughter with your lesbian baby demon-spawn. Don't forget your co-pay! _

"We'll give you some privacy so you can get changed," Doc smiles.

After Doc and the nurses go out into the hallway, Regina perches on the edge of the table with Emma.

"Are you happy?" Emma asks. She flutters her thick lashes, and Regina glimpses the sheen of tears in her blue eyes.

"Yes," Regina assures her, but her face is beat red and steamed. "I've never been happier – "

"Then why do you look like you're thinking about choking one of the nurses?" Emma whispers.

"Actually," Regina muses, "The victim of my most _recent_ murder fantasy was that irritating little dwarf. We should look for a _new_ obstetrician – someone _outside_ of town. Perhaps someone in Boston..."

"Are you insane? I am _not _driving all the way to Boston," Emma warns her. "I'll end up giving birth in the back of your Mercedes, and you won't even let eat a cheeseburger in that car! At least we know that Doc is capable. _He delivered me_ – "

"You were his first and_ last_ delivery," Regina replies, with her usual air of superiority. "He worked in the diamond mines before the curse took effect. He's _barely_ qualified to swing a pickaxe, but if you want to trust him with a speculum and a pair of forceps, be my guest –"

Emma weighs her options carefully; she could always become Dr. Whale's patient, but he's seen her mom naked, and that only makes the whole situation that much more awkward.

"Boston it is," she quickly decides.

* * *

The rain has cleared by the time Emma and Regina leave the hospital. Large puddles reflect the sunlight, and yellow rays shine through the trees with greater vibrancy.

The Charming residence is situated on a sprawling plot in the same neighborhood where Regina and Emma live. A Victorian house sits at the top of a swell in the land, and Snow's gardens dot the surrounding landscape.

Regina parks on the road, and guides Emma up the meandering driveway.

Snow is in the midst of pruning her hedges when she spots Emma. She drops her shears, and swerves around a tree, hurrying towards her daughter. "Emma!" she calls out, in a cheerful and breathless huff.

A bright canary swoops after Snow and flies overhead. Regina feels something warm splatter against her arm, and rolls her eyes skyward as she takes in the sight of her new nemesis, Zizi.

"That - god - damn bird," Regina spits.

"I'm so sorry!" Snow cries at Regina. "He's been having a lot of accidents lately!"

"I'll just go inside and freshen up," Regina grunts while grinding her teeth together. Emma gives her an apologetic look before she starts up the cobblestone walkway.

Emma follows her mother indoors, and into the cozy kitchen that overlooks a brick patio. The furniture in the space is antique, nicked and battered by age, and the paintings from Snow's apartment have been hung up on the walls.

An old kettle sits on top of the stove, and Snow uses it to boil water for hot chocolate.

Zizi flits around the room and hops along the windowsill.

When Regina comes into the kitchen, Snow is talking emphatically with Emma.

"I taught Zizi a new trick yesterday!" Snow smiles, nursing a mug of her hot cocoa. "Watch." She snaps her fingers at the bird, and Zizi skips over to her embroidery.

Snow threads a needle through one of Charming's shirts, and the bird uses its beak to bring her buttons.

"Lovely," Regina snorts. "Your bird can sew, stir your tea, and help you with your planting. But it can't remember a simple thing like where it should or shouldn't defecate."

Zizi chirps happily and then takes up roost on Regina's shoulder.

"Look!" Snow beams at Regina. "He likes you!"

Emma chokes on her cocoa when she sees the look on Regina's face.

"I'm – so – glad," Regina replies, in a voice that is flat and completely devoid of enthusiasm.

Charming wanders into the room and settles down in a chair at the head of the table. He greets Emma with a warm smile, and reaches out to squeeze her shoulder. His greeting for Regina is somewhat different; he nods his head to acknowledge her and gestures for her to sit down. It is a sign of respect, and nothing more.

"So," Snow muses. "Emma mentioned that you have some news for us." She glances up at Regina, and Emma can feel the nervous tension before it materializes in anyone's body language.

Regina wilts into her seat and trains her eyes on her former enemies. "Yes," she agrees. "We do."

Emma's face begins to fall, but she takes both of her parents by the hand, and then glances back at Regina. "We're having a baby," she announces, unable to contain her excitement.

Snow manages to sit wide-eyed and unflinching after hearing the news. "That's - wonderful," she drawls.

Charming seems more receptive to the idea. He breaks out in a smile, and shifts in his chair. "How should we celebrate?" he asks Emma. "Should we go out for drinks?"

"Oh," Emma blinks, frowning slightly. "Actually, I'm the one that's pregnant."

Charming's attitude undergoes a quick change. He starts pushing up his shirtsleeves, and his nostrils flare as he turns to Regina. "You knocked up my daughter and you don't even have the decency to marry her?" he demands.

"Such double standards," Regina observes. "Two minutes ago, you were ready to pat your daughter on the back and buy her a beer."

Emma has a wounded look about her, and Regina places a comforting hand on the blonde woman's shoulder.

Snow pours more cocoa for everyone and tries to take control of the conversation. "We're… - happy for you," she haltingly tells Emma. "How is Henry? Is he excited?"

"We haven't told him yet," Emma sighs. "He went fishing with his father." She risks glancing at Charming, even though she is unprepared to deal with his rejection. "I'm surprised he didn't invite you," she whispers.

Charming wraps his arm around Emma, and her worry visibly subsides. "We already had plans to spend the morning with you," he reminds her.

"I'm sorry that my mother ruined those plans," Regina mutters.

Snow wisely refrains from commenting, though Cora has tested her charitable nature on many occasions, and that woman makes her feel nothing but a blind hatred. "Have you told her about the baby?" she asks, exchanging an anxious look with Charming.

"We're planning to wait on that," Regina informs Snow. She rises up from her chair and washes her cup out in the sink.

"Emma," Charming mumbles to his daughter. "Why don't we step outside? I want to show you that bookshelf I built for Henry."

As soon as Emma and Charming have gone, Snow spins on Regina. "_How did this happen_?" she cries. "Did you…. - _I don't know_ - use a turkey baster?"

"Of course, dear," Regina snorts sarcastically. She returns to her chair and crosses her legs at the ankles. "The _same_ baster I use for the gravy."

Snow appears to buy into this version of events. "But… last week was Thanksgiving," she mutters to herself.

"We used a fairy blessing," Regina clarifies, struggling to maintain her patience with Snow.

"So you _asked_ the fairies for their blessing," Snow complains, "But didn't think to ask for _mine_?" She stomps her feet, and scrunches up her brow.

"Would you have given us your blessing?" Regina asks, because she is genuinely interested in the answer.

The long silence that ensues is proof enough that Snow wouldn't have encouraged their choice of actions.

Snow stands on the opposite side of the room, looking rigid and frustrated.

"The fairies never had the chance to grant Emma the gifts of her birth rite," Regina begrudgingly explains. "She received the blessing as a present. She decided what to do with it—"

Snow twirls her wedding band around her ring finger and frowns.

Regina straightens her shoulders and brushes a loose bang behind her ear. "I'm actually glad we have this opportunity to talk, because I have a favor to ask of you. There are certain details of my past that I don't want Emma to know…."

"I'm sure you remember what happened when you were fifteen," Regina continues, unable to contain the slight edge that creeps into her voice. "We visited King Bruin's palace, and while we were celebrating the winter feast, I became ill..." Her eyes darken and her upper lip tightens until her scar can be seen. "Kindly avoid all discussion of that."

"Regina," Snow protests. "Don't keep secrets from Emma—"

Regina glowers at Snow and arches her back like a hissing cat.

"Were you talking about me?" Emma asks. She's standing just inside the glass door to the kitchen with a curious smile on her face.

"No," Regina lies, feeling her energy wane. "We just wondered why you were taking so long. Are you ready to _go_?"

* * *

Forgot to mention that this story also has a one-shot companion piece in which Emma and Regina **make** the baby. It's rated M for obvious reasons.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: So, I needed to explain Regina's complicated secret in this upcoming part. It's written as a re-lived memory {in italicized text} because Regina isn't confiding in Emma just yet. Long and short: you're probably not going to like it. The second half of this chapter is pure drama, but I hope you'll decide to stick with it and wait to see what happens. I also _really_ hope that the transition doesn't seem jarring. We'll get back to some comedy with Cora and Henry in the next chapter...

Also, I thoroughly appreciate everyone's feedback! Thank you very much for reviewing!

Warnings: Some violence, but really it's nothing worse than what we've seen on the show.

* * *

Emma spends the afternoon sprawled out on the sofa, and that is where Regina finds her nearly four hours later.

The glass coffee table is covered in the debris of her empty candy wrappers and plastic water bottles. There are crumbs all over the couch cushions, and the beige carpet crunches underfoot as Regina steps closer.

"So hungry!" Emma smugly explains, knowing that her excuses will grant her instant immunity from Regina's wrath. "Eating for two now."

"I've hardly noticed a change in your appetite," Regina snorts, plucking the bag of chips out of Emma's hand. "This feeding frenzy was always apart of your weekend ritual."

"Hey," Emma whines. "Give that back!" She makes a grab for the chips, but Regina holds the bag just out of reach. Her laziness prevents her from getting up.

"Stop eating this junk food, and come to the table," Regina demands, in a tone that leaves little room for argument. "It's time for dinner."

"Oh god," Emma groans. "Are you going to practice your parenting skills on me? Haven't you practiced enough on Henry?"

"In the years we've been together, I've had to do more parenting with you than I _ever_ did with Henry," Regina remarks. She drags Emma up from the sofa and then turns off the television.

Emma obediently marches into the dining room and slumps down in her seat.

Regina uses potholders to carry their supper to the table. With a silver ladle, she spoons a colorful stew onto Emma's plate.

Emma scrutinizes the pureed carrots and peas. "What is _that_?" she asks, in a voice full of suspicion.

Regina unties her apron before taking her place next to Emma. "I'm trying out a new recipe," she replies. "It's rich in vitamins and nutrients. It's supposed to be very good for the baby."

"I think the baby would rather have a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese," Emma pouts. She pokes at the stew with her fork, and draws designs in the unappetizing mush.

"_That_ baby?" Regina asks, motioning to Emma's abdomen. "Or _this_ baby?" she growls, pointing at Emma herself.

Emma licks the tongs of her fork and makes an awful face. Her eyes are large and pleading, and the family resemblance between her and Snow White is for once disturbingly clear; she looks like she's about to be poisoned.

Regina rips the plate away from Emma and begrudgingly deposits the meal in the trash. She then searches through her folio of menus and calls for delivery.

In the meantime, Emma cleans up the mess in the living room and stretches out on the couch.

"I ordered the pizza," Regina announces from the doorway. She seems upset, but her expression is inscrutable in the dim light. "I'm glad to see you've cleaned up after yourself for once—"

The phone rings, cutting her off, and Regina hurries back into the kitchen.

Henry is on the line, reporting the details of his day. Regina brings the portable receiver to Emma, and sits beside her on the couch.

Emma rests her head in Regina's lap while Henry rants on about his fishing trip. The kid eventually pauses for oxygen, and that's when Emma realizes he's said something significant.

Regina prompts Henry to repeat himself, and Emma frowns at her, because she relies on Regina to pay attention whenever he rambles.

"Neal told me to ask you," Henry asserts. "He said you'd probably know more about the female anatomy."

"Uh-_what_?" Emma croaks at the phone. She blinks rapidly at Regina, but the brunette looks equally startled.

"Henry," Regina sighs, unprepared to handle his barrage of questions. "We'll have this conversation when you get home. There are books…"

"I knew you weren't listening to a word I was saying!" Henry snaps at his mother. He lisps over his _s_ sounds because he's agitated, and he breathes audibly, exhaling through his nostrils. "I asked if I could stay over at Neal's!"

"Oh," Regina flatly replies. "Of course you can. We'll see you in the morning. We love you—"

Henry hangs up before Emma is able to say goodnight. She puts the phone on the side table and then nestles into Regina.

Regina's eyes shine like liquid, and the vein in her forehead throbs until it becomes noticeable. Tension radiates from her tightly wound muscles, but she appears to be concentrating on keeping herself together.

Emma feels Regina flinch when she opens her mouth to speak. She shifts onto her back and peers up at the brunette. "I bet our kid will have your eyes," she quietly speculates, instead of asking the question that she means to ask.

Regina combs her fingers through Emma's hair and swallows against the lump in her throat. "I don't care what our child looks like, so long as she's healthy and doesn't have your more irritating personality traits."

"—Or your fashion sense," Regina quickly adds.

"Why do I have a feeling this list is only going to get longer?" Emma smirks.

Regina begins to relax, and after a moment, slips out of her high heels. She lies down on the couch and wraps her arms around Emma's waist.

Emma pulls a knitted blanket up to their necks, and dozes off before the arrival of their dinner.

Regina disentangles herself from Emma to pay the deliveryman. She takes the pizza into the living room, along with paper plates and napkins.

"You're letting me eat pizza on your new couch?" Emma asks, confused by this turn of events. "You don't care if I get stains on the upholstery?"

"_Our_ couch," Regina reminds her, even though she's never consulted Emma about the interior decorating. "You fell asleep. Clearly you're exhausted..."

Emma eats the pepperoni that Regina carefully picks off her slice of pizza. "What's wrong?" she whispers, following her gut instinct. "You really haven't been yourself lately…"

"I - want to take care of you," Regina insists, in a voice strained by emotion. "Emma, I'm _sorry_. I'm… sorry that I've been so distracted recently. My mind is on my work when I should be focusing on you and Henry."

Emma wants to believe what Regina has told her, although her experiences have taught her not to accept anything at face value. "Okay," she hesitantly agrees. "I think you need a drink – and probably something else, but we'll worry about that later." She heads into the kitchen, and returns with two wine glasses.

"Yours is champagne," Emma discloses. "Mine is cider." She sways slightly as she transfers her weight from one foot to the other, and then raises her glass. "To our family. To the love we've found, _however_ unexpectedly, in each other. "

* * *

Regina cannot sleep, but out of consideration for Emma, she lies silent and still, watching the night shadows as they run up the walls and race across the ceiling.

Her mouth feels parched, and her face is covered in drying tears. A cold dread has left her skin crawling.

"_Gina_?"

Emma's voice sounds small and faraway. She slowly sits upright and turns on the lamp, but the blinding light prevents them from looking at each other.

"What is it?" Regina rasps. Her heart beats at a panicked, frenetic pace. "What's wrong?"

"I need to pee," Emma grunts, and then trudges off in the direction of the bathroom.

Regina slumps against her pillow. Her chest rises and falls until her breathing evens out, and her pulse regulates.

Emma wanders back to bed without fully opening her eyes, and switches off the light. "I was dreaming about you," she mutters, burrowing under the blankets and snuggling into Regina. "You were wearing a funny hat..."

Regina loops her arm around Emma and holds her close. "Try to sleep," she requests. "It's the middle of the night."

Emma snuffles in the scent of Regina's perfume and lets out a sigh of contentment. "Love you," she whispers. "And your silly hat…"

As Emma drifts off, Regina stares out at the darkness, but what she sees is not the darkness itself. Her mind alters the landscape of the bedroom, until the ceiling expands into a vaulted roof, and she finds herself in another place entirely.

_In her memory, Regina hurries down a long corridor, into a large hall that is bright and peaceful. Stained glass windows capture the sunlight and throw spots of color into her face. _

_She pauses for a moment before gathering her black skirts and stepping into Rumpelstiltskin's study. The door swings behind her, shutting her inside the grey but spacious room. _

_A bookshelf draws her eye, but Rumpelstiltskin clucks at her and lifts a finger in the air. "You've been neglecting our work!" he chirps, flapping his arms like an unusual bird. _

"_I came as soon as I could get away," Regina assures him. She does not seem like the same girl who has recently crushed an innocent's heart. Her confidence has been shaken. _

"_Have you been entertaining guests?" Rumpelstiltskin asks her, with more enthusiasm than necessary. "Have you been – entertaining – the king?"_

_Regina glares down at her shoes, and her fingers clench at the joints, although she can't summon quite enough energy to create a fist. _

"_Never mind!" Rumpelstiltskin sings, wheeling around her, and guiding her towards the table where he brews his potions. "That is of little importance to me! I have a favor to ask of you..."_

_Regina walks away from him, and sits on the small stool where he does his weaving. "What is it?" she asks. _

"_I need you to acquire a feather," Rumpelstiltskin announces, tossing his hands up dramatically. "I will use it to make a quill..." _

"_But you already have a fine quill!" Regina reminds him. She rushes to the bookcase, and locates the red-feathered pen. _

_Rumpelstiltskin plucks the quill out of her grasp, and when she spins towards him, she sees that he is losing patience with her. _

"_Tell me what I must do," Regina demands. She's become a short-tempered young woman who is quickly provoked to anger. "Where can I find your feather?"_

"_You are traveling to King Bruin's kingdom in a month's time," Rumpelstiltskin hums, twirling his pen in front of her nose. "Are you not?"_

"_My lord is thinking of delaying our visit," Regina quietly informs her teacher. She feels lightheaded as she considers the reasons for this change of plans. _

"_My dear," Rumpelstiltskin coos in her ear. "You look faint. Is there anything that I can get for you?"_

_Regina winces and runs a hand down the front of her corset. "No," she replies. "You were speaking of King Bruin?"_

_Rumpelstiltskin skips away from her, and rearranges the glass jars on his potions' rack. "There is a young prince in Bruin's kingdom that is seeking a bride," he chitters. "He is in love with a particular princess."_

"_You want me to interfere with their happiness?" Regina asks, in a tone that expresses her disapproval. _

"_In a manner of speaking, yes." Rumpelstiltskin shrugs, and scrunches up his scaly face. "The prince will find love again! Make no mistake about that."_

"_And the princess?" Regina whispers. _

_In spite of her somber wardrobe and cynical worldviews, she still looks young and naïve. _

"_I want you to kill her, of course!" Rumpelstiltskin shouts at Regina. His moods are always in a state of fluctuation. "But before you do that, you will transform her into a swan. Pluck the longest feather from back, and dye it red with her blood." _

_Regina shakes her head to show her aversion to the scheme. "I won't do it," she mutters._

"_We've been over this, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin lowers his voice and stares into her uncertain eyes. "No one is innocent."_

"_There are terrible consequences for killing a swan!" Regina cries out, perplexed by Rumpelstiltskin's ability to remain calm only when the situation should evoke an emotional reaction from him. _

"_That is nothing more than an old wives' tale!" Rumpelstiltskin insists. "You will do my bidding, or we are done here. I've already given you a second chance!" _

_Regina turns away from him, and dashes out of the room. __Rumpelstiltskin's castle shrinks away from her, spinning into nothingness._

_Now, she stands alone in a field of frozen flowers. It is two months later, after she has agreed to uphold her contract with Rumpelstiltskin. _

_Leopold has taken her to the winter country, where King Bruin has established peace. While her husband dines with the ambassadors from foreign lands, Regina dallies in the snow. _

_Her breath is visible on the air, floating out in front of her as deep sobs wrack her body. _

_After a while, the cold weather soothes and numbs her. She strolls under the bowers of a tree, and wipes at her eyes. _

_A young knight observes her from a distance, and when she reaches out to pick an ice-covered blossom, he rides closer. _

"_You mustn't pick the flowers here!" he warns her. "They are enchanted, and if you pluck them at the root, you will call upon the wel'wa of the wood. Then you shall have to fight him. Forgive me if I speak out of turn, Madame, but you don't seem like the type who is accustomed to fighting." _

"_You_ do _speak out of turn," Regina spits. She is annoyed by his presence, and unwanted advice. "You know nothing about me."_

_The young man dismounts and leads his horse into the wood. He allows the animal to nibble at the sparse greenery that peeks out from the snow. _

"_I know you are a queen," he replies. _

"_What a smart child," Regina snorts. "I wonder what gave it away." She is wearing her traditional headpiece, and a gown with a rich fur collar._

"_I would have known you were a queen, even without the crown," he chuckles. "I am to be married in the spring. Then I too will have a title..." _

_Regina looks more closely at the man and tries to recall his name. A helmet restrains his gold hair, and although that is a distinguishing feature, she still does not recognize him. His dirty face provides a further obstacle to figuring out his identity. _

"_Only I don't wish to marry my betrothed," he haltingly admits. He blathers on, even when Regina turns her back on him. _

"_Do you love another woman?" she casually asks. _

_She is not the least bit curious about his answer, nor does she feel any sympathy for his plight. Her attitudes have undergone a drastic change, but she must pretend to be cordial in the company of others if she hopes to find the princess that Rumpelstiltskin wants her to kill. _

"_I am in love with Princess Iliane," explains the young man. "She is quite pleasing to the eye."_

"_Try asking for her hand," Regina suggests, although her voice does little to conceal her disinterest. _

_Iliane is an unfamiliar name, and Regina grows bored while listening to the young man's descriptions of the girl._

"_Her father would most assuredly turn me down!" laughs the man. He removes his helmet, and his hair tumbles down around his shoulders. With a kerchief, he cleans the smudges from his face. _

_Regina gapes at the stranger, who is actually a young_ woman_. _

"_I am the knight Frumos," she says, extending her gloved hand. "And, more commonly, Princess Odette. You are Regina, yes? My mother once made acquaintance with your mother. Corva, wasn't it?"_

_Regina reluctantly grasps the hand that is offered to her. "My mother's name was Cora," she mutters. _

_Odette whistles to her horse and climbs back into her saddle. "What a small world we live in!" she remarks. "Well, I do hope to see you around, Regina. I have a feeling we will become good friends!"_

_Regina glares hatefully at the princess. She realizes at once that is the woman she must kill. It helps that she has already developed a sour opinion of her._

_Odette is someone that Cora would sneer at, and Regina finds herself criticizing the girl in the same way that her mother might. _

_She has no way of knowing that Odette will ultimately win her friendship and admiration._

_On the day that she kills the young princess, Regina is bound to her bed by a pain in her stomach. King Bruin's medic orders her to rest, but she leaves her quarters and meets with Odette in a quiet parlor. _

_An abandoned chess game sits on the squat table between them, but Odette smacks the board, scattering the ivory pawns across the floor. Her charm and good humor are gone. "I'd rather die than marry Prince Siegfried!" she hisses. "I refuse to share a bed with a man I can never love. I wish I was dead!"_

_Regina begins picking up the chess pieces. When she glances down at her shaking hand, she sees that her fingers are tightly curled around the white queen. "Is that what you truly want?" she whispers. _

_Odette kneels at her feet, and takes the pawn from her hand. "I'm not like you!" she grumbles, without an awareness of how this hurts her friend. _

_Regina is unsure if she acts out of mercy, or anger. She neutralizes the princess with purple magic, and transforms her into a swan. _

_With a small dagger best suited for the purpose, she inflicts a mortal wound. Then she plucks a delicate plume from the swan's back, and dyes the feather according to Rumpelstiltskin's instructions. _

_Prince Siegfried bursts into the room, and spies the blood on her hands. "What have you done?" he shrieks, upon noticing the dying swan. "This is a crime against nature. This is a crime against goodness!"_

_A toothless old woman hobbles into the parlor, trailing after the prince. She is a soothsayer and advisor to King Bruin. In the past, her superstitious beliefs have mobilized an entire people to war, and it is she who receives praise during times of harmony._

_Although Regina does not remember her name, she will never forget what the old woman says to her. _

_The crone points a crooked finger at Regina. "You have slain a pure creature," she quivers. Her eyes droop shut, and her knees begin to quake. "There will be a curse upon your head for this evil deed!" _

"_Some day, you will fall hopelessly in love with a swan," the old woman warbles. "But she will die before she understands the profundity of your love. Then you shall lose your heart, and your pride!"_

"_For your wickedness, you will pay a price in the blood of your children," the witch warns her. "They too shall suffer because of your cruelty!"_

_The crone at last falls silent, and magical energy prickles the air, restoring Odette to her true form. _

_Prince Siegfried throws himself at his betrothed, and shouts accusations at Regina. "This is no swan! This is Odette, and you have murdered her! I will make sure you hang!"_

_Odette opens her mouth, and blood bubbles up from her lips. "I have killed myself," she lies. "I could not bear to be your wife." _

_Prince Siegfried looks disturbed by Odette's final words. He recoils from the princess, and leaves her to die. _

_The crone limps out into the hall to alert the guards. _

_Regina feels a terrible cramp in her belly, and slides down onto the floor. She crawls to Odette, and cradles her friend in her arms. _

"_Do not listen to that old witch," Odette gurgles. "You deserve to have a beautiful life. When I said I wasn't like you, I meant that I'm not as strong. You will figure out a way to re-write your fate."_

_This is what Regina chooses to believe, even when Leopold visits her chamber later that night. He sits on the edge of the bed, but refuses to look at her; he won't even show her that simple sign of respect. "You are a foolish and immoral woman," he frowns. "You might have stayed in bed this afternoon. Perhaps then we would not have lost another son or daughter. Snow is devastated by the loss, but you have hardly shed a tear—" _

Regina has to remind herself that she is tucked under the blankets, in another place entirely. She kisses the top of Emma's head, and rearranges her arms, trying to find a more comfortable position.

Emma stirs, sensing the movement, and smiles sleepily at her in the pale light of morning. "It's nice waking up to you," she says, and Regina has reason to hope, in spite of her fears. Because _this_ is her very definition of a beautiful, blessed life...

* * *

Guide to fairytale characters I included:

'Fat-Frumos' is a sort of Romanian Prince Charming, who is also known as 'Fet-Runers.' This character is **actually** a girl who dresses up in the clothes of a man, goes on adventures, and marries Princess Iliane (or "Ileana Simziana"). We never learn the true female identity of 'Fet-Runers,' so I of course gave her another name.

Odette is pretty obvious, for those of you who have seen "The Swan Princess" or the ballet Swan Lake. She's a character who's supposed to marry a young prince named Siegfried, but before she does, another woman ("Odile") assumes her identity. In some versions, Odette dies.

Corva is the name of a witch in another fairytale. I chose to throw this in there, because this character conveniently appears in another story about swans. I wanted Cora to have known Odette's mother, in case Regina decides to run to mommy for help at any point.

The 'wel'wa' of the wood is a type of goblin. I'm probably spelling this wrong, but I can't remember the name of the fairytale that's related to this guy. Sorry!

Bruin is from another fairytale that's about vanity. I didn't have a particular reason for including him, except there are lots of fairies (and blessings) mentioned in this story. I also forgot the name of this one.


End file.
